I Regressed to Level Up Instead of Being a Simp - Ch. 1

[MangaDex]

 

[Sollertia_]

The driving skill thingy was translated somewhat awkwardly so I went to check the raws. The original pun was crass and somewhat awkward as well, so can't blame the TL. Basically, the skills displayed are as follows:

Lv1 Accounting, Driving
Lv2 Maths, Writing, Trading Stocks, Culinary Skill
Lv3 English, Finance, Car Skills (Can simply mean driving, but with emphasis on the skills, so may include things like tricks and stunts)
Lv4 Craftsmanship (This is important)
Lv5 None

MC ponders why there are seemingly overlapping but distinct skills in ordinary driving and "driving skills", before realizing that "driving skills" refer to something else. "Old driver" is a Chinese slang for someone very experienced (commonly in online games like a pubstomper) or an old person who is surprisingly good with technology. In this case, however, the author is using the more crass meaning of referring to a sexually experienced person, hence the "driving skills" of Lv3. (No, it does not have anything to do with old drivers riding many cars, and no, it's not the Lv1 skill since that one uses a plain common verb and Chinese like to use embellishments for memes and sarcasm.)

The genius craftsman part and the background image with the toilet paper is related to MC's Lv4 Craftsmanship skill. The MC doesn't actually know how to craft or make stuff, the author is just forcing the joke of MC being "good with his hands due to constant practice on himself". The above slang, while not really used that much, is valid, but this genius craftsman thingy is purely the author's own cooking.

Following that, MC doesn't simply want to be an elite, but claims to be able to climb to the pinnacle of existence. He thinks to himself, "I will eventually elevate above merely you and me, and become They." (Using a plural pronoun referring to gods and deities like capitalized pronouns in English)

About the confrontation with Mr Douchebag, first of all, his name is Pan Shao Hang, with Pan being the surname. Because he's the spoiled son of the Pan family, MC somewhat sarcastically calls him Young Master Pan, which in Chinese is Pan Shao (Yes, the exact same as the first 2 words in his name). Due to this lousy naming by the author, the TL mistakenly translates this to simply Pan Shao several times (might be intentional, but still misleading). Anyway, the main thing I want to point out about the confrontation is that Pan Shao Hang doesn't just claim that he's FMC's boyfriend, but rather also childhood friends/sweethearts.

Also, the translated title doesn't express this well, but the specific wording in the original title makes clear that the MC has to whale to level up (Yes, it uses the Chinese gaming slang counterpart of spending big bucks to become OP). So rather than consumption meaning to devour and consume, the emphasis is on consumerism and spending.

 

[deathmailrock]

The driving skill thingy was translated somewhat awkwardly so I went to check the raws. The original pun was crass and somewhat awkward as well, so can't blame the TL. Basically, the skills displayed are as follows:

Lv1 Accounting, Driving
Lv2 Maths, Writing, Trading Stocks, Culinary Skill
Lv3 English, Finance, Car Skills (Can simply mean driving, but with emphasis on the skills, so may include things like tricks and stunts)
Lv4 Craftsmanship (This is important)
Lv5 None

MC ponders why there are seemingly overlapping but distinct skills in ordinary driving and "driving skills", before realizing that "driving skills" refer to something else. "Old driver" is a Chinese slang for someone very experienced (commonly in online games like a pubstomper) or an old person who is surprisingly good with technology. In this case, however, the author is using the more crass meaning of referring to a sexually experienced person, hence the "driving skills" of Lv3. (No, it does not have anything to do with old drivers riding many cars, and no, it's not the Lv1 skill since that one uses a plain common verb and Chinese like to use embellishments for memes and sarcasm.)

The genius craftsman part and the background image with the toilet paper is related to MC's Lv4 Craftsmanship skill. The MC doesn't actually know how to craft or make stuff, the author is just forcing the joke of MC being "good with his hands due to constant practice on himself". The above slang, while not really used that much, is valid, but this genius craftsman thingy is purely the author's own cooking.

Following that, MC doesn't simply want to be an elite, but claims to be able to climb to the pinnacle of existence. He thinks to himself, "I will eventually elevate above merely you and me, and become They." (Using a plural pronoun referring to gods and deities like capitalized pronouns in English)

About the confrontation with Mr Douchebag, first of all, his name is Pan Shao Hang, with Pan being the surname. Because he's the spoiled son of the Pan family, MC somewhat sarcastically calls him Young Master Pan, which in Chinese is Pan Shao (Yes, the exact same as the first 2 words in his name). Due to this lousy naming by the author, the TL mistakenly translates this to simply Pan Shao several times (might be intentional, but still misleading). Anyway, the main thing I want to point out about the confrontation is that Pan Shao Hang doesn't just claim that he's FMC's boyfriend, but rather also childhood friends/sweethearts.

Also, the translated title doesn't express this well, but the specific wording in the original title makes clear that the MC has to whale to level up (Yes, it uses the Chinese gaming slang counterpart of spending big bucks to become OP). So rather than consumption meaning to devour and consume, the emphasis is on consumerism and spending.

OMG, thanks so much for explaining all of that.

And I feel so sorry for the translator, even if you read Chinese, you'd probably miss a lot of this... and translating this would be super difficult... with every joke needing an explanation...

Though it might work if the translator was less literal in the translation and maybe added an English alternative... but that'd be hard to find that would still work for the humor...

 

[Sollertia_]

OMG, thanks so much for explaining all of that.

And I feel so sorry for the translator, even if you read Chinese, you'd probably miss a lot of this... and translating this would be super difficult... with every joke needing an explanation...

Though it might work if the translator was less literal in the translation and maybe added an English alternative... but that'd be hard to find that would still work for the humor...

It's tough since every single character can potentially hold so much meaning, CN translators might not suspect a certain phrasing to mean something other than the simple textbook definition. That's why imo it's a lot trickier to translate manhua than manga where contractions or slang might stand out more.

 

[deathmailrock]

It's tough since every single character can potentially hold so much meaning, CN translators might not suspect a certain phrasing to mean something other than the simple textbook definition. That's why imo it's a lot trickier to translate manhua than manga where contractions or slang might stand out more.

Not to mention most of us have been with the community for years since childhood so a lot of the tropes and stuff are well known when it comes to manga (thank you OG translators who focused on those direct translations with an explanation on top; not optimal for viewing, but much more educational)...

Hell, for me, most of the tropes I know are from Xianxia and Wuxia

 

[0riginal]

Thank you for the help in understanding this trash comic. It was helpful of you. My favorite is the awful terms thrown in like "sheeple." Truly makes the trashiness of the comic shine.

The MC might as well still be a simp. He is constantly reacting to the females around him instead of actually leveling up or earning money. It's extremely terrible writing on top of a complete diversion from the title/summary.